Loss
by missjabbjabb
Summary: Artemis and the team have taken down a Cobra Venom plant. The only problem is Cheshire and SportMaster were in the building when it blew, Artemis is tring to deal with her greif


"Artemis, we are so sorry" Black Canary walked up beside the young archer and put a hand on her shoulder, Green Arrow soon strolled up behind her  
"Artemis, you're taking the week off ok, you need some time" he looked down at her, not knowing what else to say.

"I don't need time off, I'm fine" she said, still staring at the same spot she had been for two hours  
"No, Artemis…you're not" Black Canary countered back  
"Could everyone please stop telling me how I feel?" she spat, she then stood up and started walking away  
"Artemis you can't run away from this" Green Arrow, being serious for a change  
"I'm not running away from anything, I'm fine, just leave me alone" she spat, and walked out of the room

Artemis sat in her small room, her thought racking her brain. Why should she care? Her dad and sister were criminals, they never gave a damn about her before, they left her. She kept thinking back to that mission, the same mission that killed her dad and sister.

"Robin, hit the detonator!" screeched Connor, the shipment of Cobra Venom was being loaded to the ships, the team had to incinerate them so that none of it would get to main land. They didn't mean for Sports Master and Cheshire to be in the building when it blew, they especially didn't mean for Artemis to witness it.

When the building blew, she stood there frozen, her feet un-able to move, Kid Flash was next to her tugging at her to move before more of the men who weren't in the building would find them  
"We need to go Artemis, come on!" Wally said, he knew she would be in shock, but none of the team anticipated the two criminals actually being inside the building when it blew.

He looked at her, her eyes wide and her hands shaking as she held her bow, she dropped the arrow she was holding and fell to her knee's. She had just killed her dad and her sister.

Wally deciding he could wait any longer for Artemis to recover scooped her up in his arms and ran to the bio-ship. No one said a word to Artemis the whole ride back to the mountain and to be honest she didn't want to talk. She hadn't really said much since it had happened, but none of the team had seen her shed a single tear. Artemis didn't want to cry in front of them, her father and sister were enemies of the team, why should she be upset?

When Artemis was out the room, everyone looked at one another, Black Canary breaking the silence  
"What are we going to do with her?" she asked  
"Someone needs to talk to her, she has barely said a word since it happened" Robin said, sounding far wiser than his years  
"I volunteer Wally" M'gann said, everyone nodded in agreement  
"What why me?" he asked, not that he didn't care for Artemis, he just wasn't very good at comforting people, he had always had the perfect family, he couldn't even imagine what she was going through  
"You like her, she likes you" Said Connor bluntly, he was a straight to the point kind of guy  
"Yeah, and when you're not being a jerk, your actually a nice guy" Robin added  
"Do I even get a say in this?" Wally retorted  
"No" Everyone in the room said in unison, Wally then threw his hands up in the air and muttered a few unpleasant words as he exited the room.

Artemis was sitting by herself in the training room, her bow and arrows placed in front of her. Wally stopped at the door when he first saw her thinking of things to say, he figured he would wing it and hope for something good to come out of his mouth  
"Hey looser" he said as he moved toward her and then placed himself next to her, he was expecting some smart comeback but all she said was  
"Hi Wally"

"Ok, this is the part where you say something good" he thought to himself  
"Are you, you know, doing ok?" he asked  
"Yeah I'm fine" She said, no emotion in her voice  
"Look I know you hate me but I'm just trying to help" he said, he knew he sucked at this

"I don't hate you" she said looking up to him and forcing a smile, she was swallowing back tears, why did they send out Wally? She knew they would send out someone, but Wally was more than just someone to her, she then looked down at her bow.

"You know, I remember one time when I was like four, it was when I first picked up a bow. I remember my dad telling me that one day he would teach me to use it, that he would make me the best archer the world had seen" she laughed, she was swallowing more tears back

"Me and Jade used to sit up for hours and just practise, and I was younger than her so I got tired heaps quicker than she did, so she used to tuck me into bed and read me Alice in Wonderland, I thought my life was perfect…" A small tear spilled out her eye, she suddenly couldn't control herself, she was weeping un-controllably now

"What have I done Wally? I killed my own family! I'm a monster; I'm no better than he was!" she then brought her knee's up to her chest and clutched them letting her face sink into them  
"What have I done Wally!" She screamed to herself, letting everything boil over

Wally didn't know what to say, this wasn't her fault and he knew that, but her guilt made his heart sink. Artemis was always so strong, and she had been reduced to this? He then wrapped his arm around her shoulder pulling her closer to him, she then grabbed his shirt and fell into his lap, her body falling on his legs, he hugged her closely and stroked her hair

"None of this was your fault Artemis, don't blame yourself" he said  
"It's my fault Wally…" she cried again back into his chest  
"Artemis, your family chose their lives, you just happened to choose a different one" she then stood up, embarrassed at her break down, she looked down at Wally's t-shirt and noticed the big wet patch where she had just blubbered  
"I'm sorry that…umm whatever that was, just happened" her voice hoarse from crying, Wally stood up and picked her up in his arms and started walking her to her room

"I can take care of myself" she said  
"I know, but every once in a while, it doesn't hurt to let someone else to do it for you" she smiled at that, she was so pretty, even if her eyes were blood shit and she had red splotches all over her face. Wally saw her beauty regardless. As he walked back the rest of the team was in the kitchen eating a fresh batch of M'gann's cookies  
"Do you think he you know, helped her?" Connor asked  
"I don't know how anyone could be ok after what she has been through" Robin said, he knew how she felt, the team went silent again as Wally walked out with Artemis in his arms, her eyes were red, the team tried not to stare at her, but they were finding it unbelievable that she had cried

"I'm going to take Artemis to the spare room, she needs to get some sleep" he said, looking back down at her, it was only nine thirty but Artemis felt as if she hadn't slept in ages.

As he laid her down in the bed, and covered her up he gave her one last look before turning around. She caught the back of his shirt before leaving  
"Can you stay? Just until I fall asleep?" she asked, her voice was so innocent and sweet, how could he say no  
"Alright" he said and pulled up a chair from the desk and placed it beside the bed. Artemis cried herself to sleep, but Wally didn't leave her side the whole night.

When she finally drifted off, Wally walked outside to see all the team still up  
"How is she doing?" Robin asked  
"She cried herself to sleep, but I think she will be ok, he just needs some time…" she said then reaching for a cookie  
"This is so awful" M'gann spoke, her eyes looking towards the bedroom  
"I can't even begin to imagine what she is going through…" everyone just stood there quietly

"I think I'm going to stay here tonight, so I can keep an eye on her" Wally said looking back at the door,  
"I'm going to hit the hay, see you tomorrow guys" he then left walking to the small room he had for himself in the mountain.

The next morning, M'gann had made a huge breakfast for everyone, hoping that it would make Artemis feel a little bit better. When she emerged from out of the room she had on seat pants and a tank top, her hair out hanging around her waist. Her eyes were bloodshot and her cheeks were splotchy from all the crying

"Hey Artemis, you hungry?" asked M'gann, she smiled at her, even though it was a pained one, Artemis voice was hoarse and caught when she spoke  
"I'd love some" she pulled a smile at M'gann and she flew over to her and gave her a hug, Artemis didn't hesitate to hug her back

Artemis didn't say much at breakfast; she sat next to Wally and mainly listened to the conversation, occasionally laughing. When breakfast was over Artemis offered to clean up, everyone stopped her and they offered to clean the dishes. They felt so hopeless, Artemis's dad and sister had just been basically murdered by them and all they could do was offer to clean the dishes, Artemis didn't complain though. When she walked back to the training room to get her bow and arrows she herd foot steps behind her

"Did you ditch the dishes?" she asked  
"Yeah, the Wall Man does not do dishes" he teased  
"I bet he doesn't" she giggled, as she bent down to pick up her bow he sped alongside her and bet her to the chase  
"For you" he said offering them to her, she picked them up from his open palm and smiled

"Thanks Wally"

"Artemis are you…ok?" he asked

"I'm…fine, really, I feel heaps better" she said, well that was a lie, but she was going to get better…she hoped

"OK well when you actually want to tell me the truth, I'll be ok with that" he smiled at her

"I am telling you the truth," she tried smiling, no such luck

"Wally I just need time"

"And I will be here every step of the way" he said grabbing her hand

"Thank-you" she said, a stray tear slipping from her eye, he gently wiped it away

"Wally, I mean it, thank-you. When I was…crying, you were there for me and that Kid mouth, means much more than you think" she said looking down at his hand

"Anytime archer" he smiled at her, her heart thudding loudly

"We umm better get back, I'm sure we have stuff to clean or things to prep" before she walked away, he grabbed her by the pocket of her sweat pants and swung her around, he then kissed her, it caught her totally off guard but she melted into it, realising how much she loved the dork standing I front of her, when the kiss finally broke she stood there for a minute not knowing what to say

"Race you back to the kitchen" he said

"You're the fastest kid alive, how is that fair?" she teased back

"OK I will give you a head start" he said, and she quickly dashed for the door. She realised that she was going to be ok as long as he was in her life, he brought her back when she thought she would never really recover, she was so grateful to have him, and she was never going to let Kid Mouth go.

He then caught up to her and picked her up

"Kid Mouth! Put me down!" she squealed

"Want me to show you where I got that name?" he asked, she smirked

I wouldn't mind"


End file.
